Nursing science as human science: the new world and human becoming

The human science perspective of the theory of human becoming holds intrinsic characteristics conducive to permeating teaching-learning in the 21st century. This column focuses on the challenges involved in the teaching-learning of nursing science as a human science, particularly from a human becoming perspective. Moving from a medical model of studying disease processes as the foundation for nursing education, to a nursing model of understanding the meaning of unitary lived experiences, poses challenges for both faculty and students in today's nursing world. These challenges include: explicating the unitary nature of humankind, living the responsibility of expressing new thought, perceiving teaching-learning as engaging community; and visioning nursing leadership as a transformative presence in change.